foodessa

Italian flare within a PARIS style brunch.

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict got slathered in a

Butter-Olive-Lemon-Caper-Maple Syrup sauce.

Just barely back from a whirlwind few weeks in Paris....

the city of love, food and everything in between.

The Notre-Dame church seen from Pont de l’Archevêché with their forever love locks

Appreciating this city as a quasi local permitted us to touch upon...
all arrondissements...yes, all twenty of them.

As much as possible...
we were determined to experience different paths within the snail of Paris.

Place d'Italie (13eme arr.)... right in front of its Metro station

Although having traveled to this magical city on different occasions...

most typical tourist attractions were kept to a minimum.

We did make the time to smell the roses...so envious...they bloom earlier in Paris.

Flower markets everywhere we went.

Jardin des Plantes (5eme arr.)...the Rose garden was my favourite

Entertained at all times...

We admired an Italian comedy (14eme arr.)...facade of ‘la comedie Italienne’

Free spirited musicality (5eme arr.) at the Marché Mouffetard

Well, actually, once and a while we had no choice in...
criss-crossing paths with a few Paris enthusiasts.

There are tons of them around...you’ve been warned.

With so much to see and do...
there were very few sitting moments...
unlike for some of the privileged.

Statues laid back at Musée d'Orsay ...housed in a restored beaux arts railway station

Our feet were continuously inflamed from all the excess salt and sugar...
ankles were pulling abnormally from all the cobblestone...
and muscles cramped from all the ups and downs.

rue Gabrielle...Montmartre (18eme arr.)

All this pain did however lead us to some well worth paths.
Here are just a few that we appreciated.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont (19eme arr.)

Small neighbourhood park in the Canal Saint Martin area (10eme arr.)

Parc Monceau (8eme arr.)

Ran into a stunning Peacock at Bois de Vincennes Park (12eme arr.)

Yes, that’s his backside...seemed even more dramatic than the front...it was honestly difficult for me to pick.

My favourite was this out of the way Parc - Square les Batignolles (17eme arr.)
...truly quaint and welcoming...much serenity.

Believe it or not, I complained less than usual and...
we both managed to do it in shear bliss.

Le Moulin de la Galette Bistro ...Montmartre (18eme arr.)

Hubby and I really made it a point not to get caught in...
the incredible museum and church visiting lines.

Every time we passed one...we just could not get over the enormous waiting times.

Instead, we stood in much smaller lines to get the best...
viennoiseries...bread...and of course, several pastries.

Boulangerie Poilane...(15eme arr. and also in the 6eme arr.)

Great bread and and excellent chocolate croissant.

Viennoiserie / Boulangerie in the 15eme arr.- Avenue Suffren

Pastry from similar showcases around the 17eme arr.

***

Oh...and how could I not share my illegally obtained photo within the incredible...

‘Le Bon Marche’s - Epicerie' building (7eme arr.-located in the Saint-Germain-des-Près area).

I could have spent the whole day in there. Also, I swear, I truly didn’t see the “no cameras allowed sign”.

Yes...many...many hours were spent walking.

Did we shed any pounds?

We related very well to our friendly Parisien model

With all that butter and sugar...how could we!

A confectionary institution:
‘A la Mère de Famille’ - the original shop [1761] is in the 9eme arr.)

I am now completely convinced that exercise is certainly good for...
the heart and mind...however, the fork to mouth will supersede it every time.

Yet, we really did not overeat...

pedestrian street: Rue Poncelet (17eme arr.)

...well, maybe indulge in a little more chocolate and cheese of course.

Fromagerie Marie-Anne-Cantin (7eme arr.)

Considering what we faced every day...
we actually convinced ourselves that we were so incredibly reasonable.

All in all, we at least managed to stay balanced.

Modern versus ancient facades next to: Musée du quai Branly (7eme arr.)

Those tiny bistro chairs or...
the latest, tight airline seats were not going to get us yet ;o)

Now...after all these goodies...
are you still interested in making this brunch with an little Italian flare?

A touch of Quebec maple syrup was added in dedication to the sweetness in all of us ;o)

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

with...

Butter-Olive-Lemon-Caper-Maple Syrup sauce

serves 2

Printer version

INGREDIENTS:

(American / Metric measures)

Base:
. 4 large eggs
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) white vinegar or lemon juice
. 4 slices of toasted bread (your choice of regular or rustic type)
. light spread of Dijon mustard (for bread)
. 12 small slices of Smoked Salmon
Sauce:
. 4 Tbsps. [1/4 cup] (125ml) unsalted butter
. 2 Tbsps. [1/8 cup] (30ml) e.v. Olive oil
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) Capers, crushed
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) Dijon mustard
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) lemon juice
. 2 Tbsps. (30ml) Maple Syrup
. 1/4 tsp. (1.25ml) granulated garlic
. 1/4 tsp. (1.25ml) dried tarragon herb

PREPARATION:

Sauce:
1. Prepare all ingredients for the desired sauce in a small pot and place it on very LOW heat. Whisk it right before serving.
Preparing toasted bread and spread:

2. Toast the bread slices. Spread a small dollop of Dijon mustard evenly on each slice. Place the salmon slices and set aside.
Poaching eggs:
3. Use two tiny bowls to place your initial cracked eggs. Set aside.
4. Fill a medium saucepan half way full with water. Add the 1 Tbsp. (15ml) of vinegar and bring it to a boil. Afterwards lower the heat to MEDIUM to hold a gentle, rolling boil.
5. Before adding the cracked egg, swirl the water and then immediately slip the egg into the water. Then, about 1 minute later, add the second egg. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the first egg as it slowly envelops itself and starts lightly rising to the surface. A soft set appearance should be evident.
6. Using a slotted, spoon ladle, pick up the poached egg and gently leak out the excess water to then gently place it onto the prepared bread. REPEAT the same process with the remaining eggs.
Assembly:
7. Once the poached eggs are all placed onto their bread slices, either pour the sauce directly onto the egg OR place the sauce into individual ramekins so that it becomes more personally individualized.
8. When ready to serve, make a small cross cut on top of egg so that the yolk slowly gushes out. Serve and enjoy. Bon appetit.

I hope you enjoyed this mini tour of one of my favourite cities.
This was by far the very best idea on how to celebrate my mid-life turning point.

Looking forward to sharing more of Paris with you on future posts.

Until then, enjoy your brunch ‘a la Parisiene‘...sort of ;o)

Many flavourful wishes in all your kitchen adventures.

Foodessa

Comments ... ??? ... or suggestions ... write me :o)

Claudia at: foodessa [at] gmail [dot] com

Go HERE for more SAVOURY creations.

Please take note on how I bake and cook...

Here’s a 101 of sorts to make sure that there are no disappointments when trying my creations.

Also...just so you know...feel free to increase the salt and sweet factor since I'm not high on either of them ;o)

. Use DRY cup measurements for...you guessed it...all DRY ingredients.

Anything DRY gets measured by spooning the overfilled ingredient (never shake the cup) and then level off with a flat edged tool. Exception...Brown sugar should be packed in and leveled.

. Use LIQUID cup measurements for...all LIQUIDS that cannot be leveled like for example butter, yogurt...etc. Measure the liquids at eye level to avoid overdoing what the recipe truly needs.

. OVENS are unfortunately not created equal. Mine is so old that it has reached many degrees off it's norm. It's really worth investing a few dollars to test yours with an appropriate oven thermometer. You'd be surprised how many ovens I've heard about not being where they should have been. Before you lose any more ingredients and much time preparing a new recipe...run to the store...you'll thank me later.

During the past month...

several challenging moments have passed.

Thankfully, through some of these tested times...

the beauty of Fall has helped me get through it all.

Enjoy this colourful and cheerful tour as it will...

lead to a small TELL game at the end of it all.

Here are a few wordless photos I wanted to...

SHARE from this past month.

Now...for the TELL part of this post.
It seems that there are always curiosities out there...
that have a need to be answered ;o)

A new game is amongst us Foodie bloggers...it's the game of TAG...where the envelope is pushed wide open in order to learn more about each other. Two weeks ago, Chef Dennis from More Than a Mountful decided to lure me into the fold and tagged me!

I hesitantly decided to cave on this one and make the exception to very briefly engage.

I, like most, did not see this game come running to TAG us and add one more aspect to exchanging in our Food blogging community. Although time has been tight...I truly had a very difficult time saying no to our sweet Chef D. who meant well and took the time to come up with questions he was curious about having answered.

All this to say...in the future...I'll unfortunately have to be the party pooper on this one. After answering his questions, I've decided not to add one more thing to my blogging plate. As much as I'd love to continue going on this amazing culinary journey 24/7...my life schedule does not permit for most of which goes on between Foodies. Since I’ve started this culinary journey...I’ve been trying to respect a very difficult balance in my life...thus, turning down many other requests made of me. This is unfortunately the risk a blogger takes when making unpopular decisions of not always saying yes to fit in at all times.

I'm really hoping that as time goes by...more of my passion can be shared here with all of you and be able to participate in more games, contests, challenges etc.

For now, Chef Dennis...

here are my responses to your questions:

Who had the greatest influence on your love for food and learning to cook?

My Mommy always made time in the kitchen interesting and fun...while my grandparents amplified my enthusiasm to nurture my natural spin in the kitchen. Travels and my curious nature has pushed me much further into this wondrous culinary world.

Why did you start blogging and what did you expect when you started?

Since I have little spare time...it now seems that I was unreasonably crazy to have added one more thing on my to-do list. However, the real answer is that I needed a distraction as well as find a more fulfilling way to nurture one of my passions.

For the rest of it...and for a more in-depth read...kindly refer to my ‘About page‘...most of it is there!

If you could meet anyone living or dead who would it be and why?

As a very young child...I was intrigued by my 'Nonno' who was a man of few words...however, big on the soothing energy he passed on to me when I was in his presence. Moments in his precious garden and later cooking up a hearty soup and grilled cheese have remained very dearly cherished by me. I wish he were alive today so that I could truly MEET him as an adult. This would be the only way to understand where all that silence came from. I'm sure it would explain a lot about who I've been and now become.

What is the one book you could read over and over again?

I have way too many interests and way to little time on my hands to even contemplate reading anything more than once! On the other hand...reading a complex recipe more than once...that's happened more times than I can count ;o)

If you could have a TV show on the Food Network what would it be?

This would be a trio based show. I would certainly have the need to create around international dishes and share dedicated travels. Amazing charitable organizations who are trying to abolish world hunger would definitely have to be showcased in order to make it all worth while.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

This one is easy...I've been dreaming of having a Polynesian on his/her canoe filled with a fresh and elaborate breakfast...brought to us at our over-water bungalow with the see-through glass bottom floor. Can you tell that I've been thinking about the French Polynesian islands for a while? ;o)

What was the best meal you ever had?

I've had so many...however, if there's one that just popped in my mind as I read this question...it would certainly have to be a Seafood Marinara Linguini shared at a ‘Penzione’ in Sardinia, Italy. The reason, I remember this moment so well was because my Hubby reminded me constantly about it for the rest of our vacation.

I'll explain...one evening at this very plain looking restaurant ‘tratorria‘, I had suggested that this particular unknown dish should probably be our entrée as opposed to a main dish. To make matters slightly worse...we shared it too! If we weren't so embarrassed to cancel the ordered next few dishes...Hubby and I would have had a bath in the Seafood Marinara pasta dish! Believe it or not, Hubby still brings this sore subject up when he disagrees with me about something!

Most of you must be surprised that I didn't pick a dessert for this question?!? It was very close ;o)

And finally...
I’ll finish off by sharing two more things...

and yes...a dessert response too!

If you could eat anything without any health repercussions or guilt, what would your meal be?
Since I'm an incurable sweet tooth, I'll have to have a dessert as a meal.
From a restaurant menu...I’ll always pick my dessert before deciding what my meal progression will be. The following creation is what I‘d have in mind:
A chocolate custard crème brulée...toppled with a toffee 'fleur de sel' candy crunch all nestled within a 'cotton candy' nest. I know...how crazy is that?!?
Chef D...if I come visiting you with a bouquet of zucchini blossoms...will you make this for me? ;o)

Here’s another quirky confession. I’m slightly obsessed with questioning restaurant personnel about their rating on the menu’s crème brulée!!! I’m still trying to get back my high from when I experienced my first unforgettable taste.